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5 Internet Boyfriends Ranked! 

By Yvette DeLaCruz

As defined by Glamour, an internet boyfriend is a “famous or semifamous male person whom your entire Twitter feed has a crush on at the same time.” This can happen when a male celebrity goes viral for different reasons, such as a new project where he plays the greenest of green flags, he did a good deed that made everyone go “aaawww”, or he removed his shirt and we’re all surprised how he’s been able to hide all those muscles underneath for a long time.   

Internet boyfriends are more than a celebrity crush. According to Esther Zuckerman, a journalist and author of A Field Guide to Internet Boyfriends: Meme-Worthy Celebrity Crushes From A to Z, these celebrities have a positive image and mostly get good press. They’re not sexist, racist or ageist. They’re the answer when the men in our lives disappoint.   

So, how does the internet choose its boyfriend? According to this post from The Cut, the criteria are:  

  • He’s a mysterious guy but still well-known 
  • Someone authentic 
  • Earned his position through hard work (so, no nepo babies) 
  • Flawed
  • Rarely appear in romantic movies

Benedict Cumberbatch was one of the first documented internet boyfriends. But there have been hundreds after him. However, only a select few truly deserve and embody that title.  

  • 5. Tom Holland

    Even if all of the fans know he’s in a real relationship with Zendaya, they still can’t help branding Tom Holland as an internet boyfriend because of how supportive of a boyfriend he is. How many times has he publicly swooned over Zendaya with ENews calling Holland’s personal Instagram account a Zendaya stan account?

    Holland and Zendaya met on set of Spider-Man: Homecoming and in a Fan Expo 2024 in Toronto, Marissa Tomei, who played Peter Parker’s Aunt May in all three films, mentioned, “I think some of the favorite things were really just watching Tom and Zendaya grow up and watching them fall in love… and seeing their phenomenal talent.” 

    Aside from finding love (which apparently is common when you’re doing a Spider-Man movie), Holland also received the late Stan Lee’s commendation. In his Entertainment Weekly 2016 interview, Lee said, “I can’t believe it. It’s as if we created a living being to be Spider-Man, and it turned out to be Tom.” Even if he got approval from Stan Lee himself, there are still fans loyal to Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. However, it seems most fans acknowledged Holland’s Spider-Man after Maguire and Garfield cameoed in Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

  • 4. Oscar Isaac

    An internet boyfriend since 2016, with GQ claiming “they saw him first,” Oscar Isaac has been breaking stereotypes as a Latino in Hollywood ever since. Captivating audiences with his impressive performances in movies like Dune and Star Wars, Isaac has showcased his range as an actor. He’s also a multifaceted actor as evident in his titular role, Inside Llewyn Davis as he sings and plays the guitar too!

    Aside from his portraying his movie and TV roles well, Isaac is also known to be hilarious, otherwise he’d never have aced his SNL gig.   

    May Calamawy, his Moon Knight co-star also told Esquire how funny Isaac is and, “He’s always down to be goofy and play in between scenes.”  

    Isaac’s activism and philosophy also add depth to his internet boyfriend persona with fans loving his active involvement in issues that matter. He has been involved in different charities and organizations, including the Enough Project, which works to end crimes against humanity, and Caliber Foundation for victims of gun violence. He’s also been vocal in opposing Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill. 

    Fans also love his camaraderie with another internet boyfriend who is the next on our list and his co-star in Triple Frontier. 

  • 3. Pedro Pascal

    Of all the internet boyfriends on this list, Pedro Pascal has another moniker; “internet daddy.” In his interview with Today, Pascal addressed his new nickname. He admits “he’s having fun with it,” but that he is called as such because of the roles he played recently, “(The daddy thing) seems a little role related, I think. There was a period where the Mandalorian is very ‘daddy’ to baby Grogu. Joel is very ‘daddy’ to Ellie. These are daddy parts. That’s what it is.” Fans will of course disagree because he’s an internet daddy for a whole lot of PG-rated reasons.   

    Beyond his acting, Pascal is also known as an advocate of LGBTQ+ rights. He has a transgender sister who he supports. His relationship with his gender-fluid co-star Bella Ramsey who told GQ that Pascal was “super supportive” and that the two of them had numerous conversations about sexuality and gender while shooting.  

    If that isn’t enough for you to fall in love with him, Pascal’s sense of humor also adds to his “zaddy-ness”.  

  • 2. Paul Rudd

    There’s been a running joke for years on how Paul Rudd is not aging. The interest in him increased twofold after he was named as People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2021. Rumors have been circulating that he might be a vampire, struck a deal with the devil, or discovered the fountain of youth which helped him maintain his looks since Clueless.  

    But Rudd isn’t the internet’s boyfriend because of his baby face and good looks. His self-deprecating humor, relatability, niceness (with ENews even stating “There are very few people in Hollywood nicer than Paul Rudd”) and goofy dancing make him internet gold.  

    Despite being known for his comedic timing, Rudd has also shown his versatility as an actor. Regardless of having a minor role in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, he delivered one of the most memorable lines from the film. As always, it’s a delight to watch him. 

  • 1. Keanu Reeves

    Keanu Reeves has been an actor since 1984. He had his breakthrough role in the movie Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure and has been acting ever since. However, his movie and TV roles aren’t the reason why he’s number one on our list (although those certainly helped, especially his hilarious and seemingly out-of-character cameo in Netflix’s film Always Be My Maybe), it’s because of his genuine and good nature interactions with people.

    He’s generous with the people he worked with; his stunt team for John Wick 4 received personalized Rolex watches as a “wrap gift” and for his Matrix Reloaded stuntmen? A Harley-Davidson bike.  

    He’s even kind to his fellow passengers giving up his seat in the subway for a lady (can we also pause to talk about how nonchalant he is about using public transportation despite all the money he makes?) He’s also apparently someone you could go on a road trip with as he arranged for a shuttle to help other passengers going to Los Angeles stuck with him in Bakersfield.  

    There’s no shortage of articles about Keanu Reeves being a nice guy and despite being the internet’s boyfriend, he told People he’s surprised about his new title.  

    We stan a humble king. 

Whether it’s their kindness, talent, humor, and let’s be honest, stunning good looks, these internet boyfriends will always have a special place in their fans’ hearts worldwide. Our admiration for them will never fade (or at least, until the internet claims another actor is the internet’s newest boyfriend.) 

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